Chapter 407: Almost There
The Bone Lizard’s tail trembled in my grip, bones grinding against bones. I swung it one last time, letting its armored body crash through a cluster of trees. Trunks splintered and leaves exploded into the air.
Before it could rise, I planted my foot on its chest and pushed Essence through my leg. The ground caved in under us, a deep crater forming as the impact shattered its spine. The hiss turned into a weak gasp, then silence.
I let go of its tail and turned around.
The goat and wolf snarled from opposite sides, circling like they thought they were predators.
I grinned. My Psynapse lit up, mapping every flick of their muscles, every twitch in their stance. I could feel their killing intent, sharp but clumsy compared to mine.
The goat lunged first, its single eye glowing faintly with corruption. It thought brute force would work. I let it close the distance, its single eye locked on me. At the last heartbeat, I tilted my body just enough for its horns to miss. My wings flared, the wind bursting against its side and throwing it off balance.
Before it could recover, my staff was already spinning in my hands. Violet Essence rippled down its length, wrapping it in a haze.
I slammed the end into the ground right beside its front hoof. The shockwave from the strike lifted the goat’s entire body off the ground. Time seemed to slow as its legs kicked uselessly in the air.
I stepped in, twisting my hips and bringing the staff up in a clean arc under its jaw. The hit was crisp, almost beautiful, and the sound of bone snapping rang out.
The goat’s head snapped back violently, and its body crumpled sideways. I didn’t wait for it to stand. I swung the staff down again, this time with the minor law of repulsion active. The force multiplied, crushing its skull against the earth in a wet crunch.
And the goat was gone forever.
The wolf hesitated now, its growl lower, almost uncertain. Smart enough to sense the gap between us, but too tainted to flee. I let my shoulders loosen, spinning the staff lazily in one hand as I walked toward it. My steps were as slow as I could make it.
The wolf didn’t wait. It lunged, jaws wide enough to take my head clean off. I shifted my weight, and my body blurred sideways, its teeth snapping on empty air. The air still rippled from the speed I moved at. I could smell its breath, hot, foul, filled with the stench of decay.
Before it landed, I drove my staff into its ribs with a horizontal strike. The impact folded its body mid-air, Essence slamming into its core. It yelped, the sound sharp and ugly, before it hit the ground and rolled.
I followed without pause, wings folding close as I stepped right into its recovery space. My staff’s tip touched the ground, then I snapped it upward, catching the wolf’s chin and sending its massive head snapping back. Its three tails flailed wildly, but they were slow compared to me.
I gripped the staff with both hands and pulled it back. Lightning-infused Essence crackled along the shaft, buzzing against my palms. The wolf’s glowing red eyes fixed on me for just a second, long enough for me to swing.
The staff connected clean with the side of its skull, and the energy detonated outward. The crackle turned into a sharp thunderclap, the shockwave flattening the grass in all directions. The wolf collapsed where it stood, its head twisted unnaturally.
I exhaled slowly, feeling the hum of Essence still coursing through my channels.
I spun the staff once more before letting it rest against my shoulder.
Cassian landed beside me.
"So, should we already start calling you a grandmaster? I wonder what’ll happen once you break through."
I shrugged.
"Nothing much. I’ll just be invincible in the Empire soon."
He chuckled.
"Such arrogance."
I clicked my tongue and turned away.
No grandmasters remained nearby, but the place nearby was still crawling with late Master-rank abominations.
A quick glance at my quest progress showed 8,609 / 10,000.
The trio were almost finished with their cleanup.
My Psynapse stretched across the entire area, every movement and sound within my reach. From what I sensed, clearing just the first level of the Gamma Zone would be enough to finish the quest. There was no real need to go deeper into the second level.
But then I paused.
If I ranked up, the extra strength and control would make the cleanup of the entire Gamma Zone easy, almost effortless. In that case, why stop halfway? I could sweep the whole place clean without breaking a sweat.
With that thought in mind, I drew in a deep, steady breath. Essence flowed through my channels like a tide ready to break. My Psynapse stretched far, touching every living thing in range, their twisted heartbeats, their hungry breaths, the damp pulse of the forest itself.
Then I decided to end it all myself.
I spread my hands and whispered.
"[Sanctum of Judgement]."
The world shifted.
Light bloomed into existence around me, countless spears forming in the air, their edges humming with lethal intent.
They weren’t plain spears anymore; they were shaped from condensed violet Essence, their glow washing the forest in an eerie dawn.
The air thickened. Wind curled violently around the growing halo of weapons. The spears spun slowly at first, whispering as they cut the air. Then faster, until their motion blurred into rings of pure death.
Essence twisted violently, pulling the surrounding air into its orbit. The forest floor trembled. Spatial ripples ran like cracks through the air, distorting trees in the distance.
The moment snapped.
With a deep roar of displaced air, the first wave of spears launched. Each one screamed as it cut through the wind, breaking the sound barrier with a thunderclap. And just before striking, they vanished.
They reappeared a breath away from their prey.
Rhinos as huge as mountains charged, but their thick hides did nothing as the spears pierced their shoulders and chests, toppling them instantly.
Elephants swung their trunks in panic, but violet Essence spears drilled through their sides, sending them crashing into the forest floor with a deafening thud.
Apes leapt to strike, only for the spinning weapons to slice through limbs and torsos before they could even land.
Everywhere, the forest lit up with violent flashes of violet light.
Explosions rolled through the trees like a chain of thunder, ripping open the ground. Roots snapped and rose from the shockwaves. Branches fell like rain. A wave of burning ozone and Essence washed over everything.
I could feel their fear through my Psynapse, hundreds of heartbeats faltering, some snuffing out instantly, others thrashing in panic. The weaker grandmasters staggered, bleeding heavily, their limbs failing.
In the end, the level 1 forest fell silent except for the groan of trees still swaying from the assault.
And a single notification opened up in front of me.
[Quest Completed]